Art Taylor's Blog, page 5

The First Two Pages: “The Big Push and Legend of Sir Morleans’ Lost Pearls” by Andrew McAleer

In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.

A Casebook of Crime: Thrilling Adventures of Suspense from the Golden Age of Mystery, a new collection published in late February by Level Best Books, is credited to two authors: Andrew McAleer and his father John, who’s best known for his Edgar Award-winning book Rex Stout: A Biography. Father and son collaborated on another nonfiction book: Mystery Writing in a Nutshell: The World’s Most Concise Guide to Mystery and Suspense Writing, which Kirkus praised as a “brief, well-outlined guide for budding mystery writers.” But this new collection of stories is unique in many respects, not least of which is the nature of the partnership, with Andy discovering his father’s early forays into fiction—one complete story, references to others—only after the elder McAleer’s death and then further building out the world of detective Henry von Stray and his Watson-styled sidekick, Professor John Diplate. With the story he’s discussing today, for example, Andy was mostly working from the title his father had left in a 1937 diary; in fact, much of his essay below is devoted to “The Amazing History of the Tell-Tale Title.”

I was fortunate enough to read these stories pre-publication, and in fact, I wrote the introduction to the collection—and do note that the cover reads “Volume One,” so there are more books ahead, we trust! Here’s a sample from my introduction that I hope speaks to what’s truly special about this project:

If the elder McAleer’s lost pearls were indeed lost in another way, the younger one would write a story himself around that idea—following Von Stray and Dilpate into a new adventure, channeling his father’s style, tone, and humor, diving back into 1920s England and the world of the Golden Age detective story, and building further on the world that his father had constructed in that era—a world that had nearly been lost.

Recovering that first story [“The Case of the Illustrious Banker”] was a brilliant find, but continuing the series reveals a different kind of brilliance. More than mimicry or some elevated form of pastiche, these stories—one by John McAleer, three now by Andrew—strike me as true collaborations, the father as a young boy and son as a grown man speaking with one shining voice.

With all that in mind, I’m happy to hand it over to Andy to provide us insights below about how his father’s work inspired him in this particular story (the title leading the way!) and how he went about trying to draw readers into the tale. A terrific essay here—and a fine story beyond it. Do pick up the new collection when you can.

Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.

Revised-McAleer-Von-Stray

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The First Two Pages: “Travels for the Traditional Man” by Lisbeth Mizula

In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.

Throughout February, we’ve been hosting contributors to Gone Fishin’, the new anthology from the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. So far, Cindy Martin has offered reflections on her story, “Sand, Salt, Slay,” and Kate Fellowes has provided insights on “Pier Pressure,” her contribution to the collection. This week, we’re welcoming Lisbeth Mizula on “Travels for the Traditional Man”—and we encourage readers to check out the full collection, edited by James M. Jackson and published by Wolf’s Echo Press (buylinks at their website here). The book is subtitled Crime Takes a Holiday, and as the press materials clarify, crime also “Steals, Disrupts, Upends, Wrecks, Destroys and/or Shatters a Holiday” as well, so whatever their vacation plans, the characters here are in for trouble ahead—and readers are in for a ride of their own.

I started to write “in for fun” above—then hesitated, because murder isn’t always fun, right? But I think we’re safe to count on it from our guest today, who emphasizes in her bio a background in writing and performing stand-up comedy and ends the essay below with wanting to write “a story that brings a chuckle or a smile.” Lisbeth Mizula’s short fiction has appeared in local and national publications, she has a horror/romance novella in the editing stage, and she’s currently working on a humorous mystery set in Good Deeds, Texas—the small town where “good deeds are legally required of all residents every Tuesday, the only acceptable excuses being jail, institutions, or death.” I sense a series in the making.

Thanks to Cindy, Kate, and now Lisbeth for sharing these essays on their stories, and congratulations to them and to all the contributors to Gone Fishin’ !

Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.

Lisbeth-Mizula

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Derringer Award Finalist!

So thrilled that Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology has been named a finalist for the inaugural Derringer Award for Best Anthology! I’m thrilled to have a story, “Two for One,” as part of the collection.

And congratulations to all the other finalists too. Here’s the complete slate:

Devil’s Snare: Best New England Crime Stories 2024, edited by Susan Oleksiw, Ang Pompano, and Leslie Wheeler — with Leslie Wheeler and 3 others. 

Friend of the Devil: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the Grateful Dead, edited by Josh Pachter 

Larceny & Last Chances: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, edited by Judy Penz Sheluk 

Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology, edited by Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman 

New York State of Crime: Murder New York Style 6, edited by D.M. Barr and Joseph R.G. De Marco 

The 13th Letter, edited by Donna Carrick

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The First Two Pages: “Pier Pressure” by Kate Fellowes

n April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.

Our celebration of the new—and eighth!—Guppy Anthology, Gone Fishin’, continues this week. Edited by James M. Jackson and published by Wolf’s Echo Press (buylinks at their website here), the new collection features stories by members of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. The book is subtitled Crime Takes a Holiday, and as the press materials clarify, crime also “Steals, Disrupts, Upends, Wrecks, Destroys and/or Shatters a Holiday” as well. And after hosting Cindy Martin last week with an essay on her story “Salt, Sand, Slay,” we’re welcoming Kate Fellowes today with her story “Pier Pressure.”

Kate is the author of six mysteries, but she’s also a widely published short story writers and essayist, with publications in anthologies and magazines including Victoria, Woman’s World, Brides, and Romantic Homes. She won the San Diego Public Library’s Matchbook Short Story contest, meeting the challenge of crafting a story in just fifty words! She’s also a founding member of the Wisconsin Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Check out her blog at https://katefellowes.wordpress.com.

Thanks to Cindy and Kate for offering up these insights about their work, and stay tuned for next week, when we’ll host another contributor to Gone Fishin’ !

Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.

Fellowes-Guppies

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Keynote: Manuscript to Marketplace

I’m pleased to be one of the keynote speakers for the upcoming conference “Manuscript to Marketplace,” Friday and Saturday, March 21 & 22, at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Here’s the description of my talk:

Among Elmore Leonard’s “10 Rules for Good Writing,” you’ll find “Never open a book with weather,” “Avoid prologues,” “Avoid detailed descriptions of characters,” “Don’t go into great detail describing places and things,” and “Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.” Wunderkind literary agent Noah Lukeman wrote an entire book, The First Five Pages, on the importance of making a good first impression on editors and readers—and emphasized it should have been titled The First Five Sentences.

Beginnings maybe the hardest thing to write… except for endings… and then there’s the middle, of course. But building a strong opening can not only engage readers and editors quickly but also lay the foundation for richer plots and ultimately provide the key to more rewarding endings.  With an emphasis on short stories but attention to novels as well, Art Taylor will offer insights and approaches, drawing on “The First Two Pages,” the blog series he curates, as well examples and advice from classic and contemporary writers.

You can find the full schedule and registration information here!

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The First Two Pages: “Salt, Sand, Slay” by Cindy Martin

In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.

First things first, I’m not sure what happened to January—in case anyone’s been following the blog closely enough to notice that the First Two Pages’ holiday break became a winter break and then some. But even if belated, I’m glad to be kicking off 2025 celebrating the new—and eighth!—Guppy Anthology, Gone Fishin’, featuring stories by members of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Edited by James M. Jackson and published by Wolf’s Echo Press (buylinks at their website here), the new collection is subtitled Crime Takes a Holiday, but as the press materials clarify, “In these twenty-three stories, Crime Steals, Disrupts, Upends, Wrecks, Destroys and/or Shatters a Holiday”—all of which sounds much more fun to read about. And as a great example of how a holiday can get disrupted and upended, Cindy Martin offers an essay exploring the inspirations behind her story, “Salt, Sand, Slay,” and the ways in which “underlying tensions” at the start of a vacation can quickly become bigger issues. As she writes in her essay, “Something dark and deadly will taint the tropics.”

Cindy might count herself newer to the fiction game—she’s had four short stories published, all in the last year, and she’s working on her first novel, the thriller Relentless—but she draws on more than two decades of experience as a successful storyteller, thanks to her work as a producer of America’s Most Wanted. The essay below also explores that background, which skills carry forward into fiction, which don’t, and how they differ.

I’m grateful to Cindy for the insightful—and exciting!—reflections on the first two pages of “Salt, Sand, Slay,” and I’m looking forward to hosting more contributors to Gone Fishin’ over the next few weeks!

Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.

The-First-Two-Pages-Cindy-Martin-Guppy-Anthology-1-23-2025

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The First Two Pages: “Salt, Sand, Clay” by Cindy Martin

In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.

First things first, I’m not sure what happened to January—in case anyone’s been following the blog closely enough to notice that the First Two Pages’ holiday break became a winter break and then some. But even if belated, I’m glad to be kicking off 2025 celebrating the new—and eighth!—Guppy Anthology, Gone Fishin’, featuring stories by members of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Edited by James M. Jackson and published by Wolf’s Echo Press (buylinks at their website here), the new collection is subtitled Crime Takes a Holiday, but as the press materials clarify, “In these twenty-three stories, Crime Steals, Disrupts, Upends, Wrecks, Destroys and/or Shatters a Holiday”—all of which sounds much more fun to read about. And as a great example of how a holiday can get disrupted and upended, Cindy Martin offers an essay exploring the inspirations behind her story, “Salt, Sand, Clay,” and the ways in which “underlying tensions” at the start of a vacation can quickly become bigger issues. As she writes in her essay, “Something dark and deadly will taint the tropics.”

Cindy might count herself newer to the fiction game—she’s had four short stories published, all in the last year, and she’s working on her first novel, the thriller Relentless—but she draws on more than two decades of experience as a successful storyteller, thanks to her work as a producer of America’s Most Wanted. The essay below also explores that background, which skills carry forward into fiction, which don’t, and how they differ.

I’m grateful to Cindy for the insightful—and exciting!—reflections on the first two pages of “Salt, Sand, Clay,” and I’m looking forward to hosting more contributors to Gone Fishin’ over the next few weeks!

Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.

The-First-Two-Pages-Cindy-Martin-Guppy-Anthology-1-23-2025

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In Short: Daphne du Maurier & The Center for Fiction

Less than a week now until my Zoom discussion on two stories by Daphne du Maurier on Wednesday, January 29, for the Center for Fiction. I’ve been re-reading both stories (of course) and delving into some more research for context in prep for our conversation—discovering new things myself from the last time I taught these stories! Here’s the full write-up from the Center for Fiction about the event:

Daphne du Maurier’s short stories “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now” are better known through their successful film adaptations, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and Nicholas Roeg, respectively. But the original texts are among the author’s most inventive and thrilling, and are evidence of how du Maurier’s short stories challenged her reputation as a writer of romantic and historical novels and moved into the worlds of horror, speculative fiction, and psychological suspense. Uncanny and perhaps unknowable threats, the menacing aspects of place and space, and ominous endings—these elements are hallmarks of both stories, though each twists them in unique ways.

More information and registration can be found here.

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2024 Publications

Inspired by some other short story writers on social media, I snapped a picture of my 2024 publications—and have to admit feeling pleased to look productive here, especially since the year also seemed one where I got very little new writing done.

I want to shout-out one in particular that attendees at the Sisters in Crime Chessie Chapter Author Extravaganza in December seemed excited about: “After Their Convictions, Six Murderers Reflect on How Killing Mr. Boddy Changed Their Lives,” co-written with my wife, Tara Laskowski, edited by Michael Bracken, and published by Black Cat Mystery Magazine & Wildside Press. Our first foray into fan fiction (!) lets us riff on the fates of our favorite board game characters AFTER the envelope is opened and their guilt is revealed—six linked flash fiction segments in all.

“We Keep The Wall Between Us As We Go” in Mystery Tribune is a story told backwards, tracing violence between neighbors back to the root of their troubles.

“Two for One” in Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology is about a woman who’s tired of the static relationship with a coupon-clipping boyfriend, yearning for something more, and then in maybe over her head.

“The Gained Ground” in Midsummer Mysteries follows an older man on an annual hike, honoring a friend who’d died in childhood.

“Tuesday Night Teas” in Agatha and Derringer Get Cozy features an advice columnist and a group of friends solving what may be a murder armchair-detective style—in an homage to Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple story “The Tuesday Night Club.”

“Dark Threads, Loose Strands” in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine is told from three perspectives: a man driving past a public school and witnessing a fight on the playground, and then two of the boys involved in the fight.

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The First Two Pages: “Enjoy the Silence” by Libby Cudmore

In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.

Libby Cudmore is killing it, no doubt about it. Last year, she won the Shamus Award for Best PI Short Story for “Charlie’s Medicine” from the anthology Lawyers, Guns, and Money: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Warren Zevon, an anthology she and I co-edited for Down & Out Books, and soon after that, she won the Black Orchid Novella Award for “Alibi in Ice,” which appeared this past summer in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine (and which she wrote about for AHMM‘s blog “Trace Evidence” here). Libby’s latest novel, Negative Girl, also appeared this year, and Library Journal praised it nicely: Cudmore’s neo-noir is a well-crafted story that not only functions as an ode to great music but also assembles a plot that is consistently entertaining and satisfying.” In addition to her writing, Libby is a podcaster, co-hosting both OST Party and Misbehavin’ —and she rocks the vintage fashion scene too, as she discusses in the essay below, with elements of her many interests core to the world of the story she’s discussing and her Wade & Jacks series generally.

When I first invited Libby to contribute again to the First Two Pages, we’d talked about her writing on “Alibi in Ice,” but having her reflect on the new story has an added bonus—since we get to celebrate as well the 1,000th issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine! On sale now, the January/February issue features a terrific group of authors, including Peter Lovesey, Joyce Carol Oates, Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Marcelle Dubé, R.T. Raichev, Mat Coward, Joseph Goodrich, Terence Faherty, Paul Ryan O’Connor, Nancy Novick, Charlaine Harris, Richard Helms, and more too in the Black Mask, Department of First Stories, Passport to Crime, and Poetry sections!

Check out the new issue soon—and Libby’s website as well!

Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.

Cudmore-Enjoy-the-Silence

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